Sealed containers having seals that can be opened are used in numerous applications. For example, sealed containers are used for beverages, food and/or industrial products. The seals of these sealed containers allow for users of the products contained in the sealed containers to have easy access to the product contents. Especially beneficial are seals that can be resealed after opening. These resealable seals are typically in the form of lids and provide a great deal of convenience and numerous benefits. Their main function is to provide for the containers to be resealed after being initially opened. This function is particularly beneficial when the product contained in the sealed containers is a food item. The resealable seal allows the consumer to consume the desired portion of the packaged food item and save the remainder of the food item for later consumption. One problem with such sealed containers is that they may leak. This is especially true for plastic containers. The leaks can range from obvious leaks to micro-leaks. For plastic containers, the leaks are primarily due to processing conditions such as heat exposure, finish abrasions, fill temperature, head space, pull-up range, and inversion. 0f course, when the sealed container leaks, it can cause contamination of the product contained in the container, which is of particular concern when the product is a food product.
It would therefore be desirable to prepare a method for testing for leaks in such sealed containers. It would further be desirable if such a method were simple, easy to carry out, and inexpensive. The present invention provides such a method and an apparatus for carrying out such a method.